


Omega in the Tower

by haganenoheichou



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alpha!Shiro, Good Guy!Lotor (sort of), M/M, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Omega!Keith, Omegaverse, Secondary LanceLot, Sexual Content, SheithBigBang2018, Sparring, arranged mating
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-20
Updated: 2018-08-20
Packaged: 2019-06-30 01:41:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 15,020
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15741534
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/haganenoheichou/pseuds/haganenoheichou
Summary: Shiro is surprised to learn that the city's biggest businessman bought his services as an Alpha for his son, Keith. He is surprised to learn that Keith is not your typical Omega. And he is also surprised that it's very, very easy to fall for Keith.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This has been a journey and a half! I absolutely adored writing this fic and working on it with my artist, the talented [Azulead](https://twitter.com/azuleadart?lang=en). Please go check out their art because it is amazing and they are a blessing to work with. 
> 
> Thank you to the staff at Sheith Big Bang for making this event happen!

_ ALPHA REGISTRY FILE #8930KN _

_ Name: Shirogane, Takashi _

_ Age: 25 _

_ Employment: mechanic _

_Educational status: 2 nd year Master’s Program, Astrophysics_

_ Mating status: unmated _

_ Special notes: significant scarring, right arm prosthetic replacement KUR-0N model _

_ Availability for breeding: available.  _

* * *

 Shiro was not a coward. Of the many things he was, afraid was not one of them – not when there were so many things at stake. Still, there was a sense of unease that simmered beneath the surface of his skin as he waited in the lavish lobby of brand-new _Galra Royale._ The hotel itself was fancier than anything Shiro could have ever imagined in a fever dream: grey steel everywhere, glass that had been polished and shined within an inch of its life, and black leather sofas, chairs, _everything_. The eerie violet glow from the chandelier overhead was apparently a trademark of the chain and a testament to the owner’s eccentric tastes. 

Mr. Zarkon, known to his friends as _Mr. Zarkon_ (call him anything else and see how long you last in the business), was a man of strange tastes and enormous bank accounts. He was the kind of person you wouldn't expect to ever meet in real life; the type of person that only existed in the news. His entire persona was shrouded in speculation, and his impeccable reputation as a businessman and entrepreneur lent it to quite a bit of fiction and hearsay.

Which was why Shiro was still kind of confused about as to why he was here. 

The only thing he knew for sure was that he had been rudely pulled from his part-time job at the garage by a call from a crisp-accented lady who had introduced herself as Mr. Zarkon's secretary. Then he was invited to join Mr. Zarkon for a drink at the _Royale_ , sent a suit which was tailored to his figure creepily well, and ordered to look presentable. And here he was. Waiting to talk to one of the most influential people in the world while inspecting his hands for oil smudges.

“Ah, Mister Shirogane.” 

Shiro looked up sharply to see a sleek-haired, suit-clad lackey. He was dressed much better than Shiro could ever hope to. 

“Yes?” 

“Mr. Zarkon will see you now. Follow me.” 

The man turned around without even allowing Shiro the time to respond. He managed to make it to the elevator on time before the doors slid shut and soon enough, they were zooming up to the penthouse in dead silence. The eerie violet glow of the lobby made for an even more oppressive atmosphere in the elevator. 

“Um, what is this about?” Shiro ventured, but the man simply glanced at him and continued on staring down the elevator doors until they opened. Clearly, he wasn’t privy to his own fate, among these fine folk. 

Nervously, Shiro followed the man out into probably the most lavish hotel room he had ever seen. It was an _apartment_. Scratch that, it was more than an apartment – it was a mansion that had somehow been condensed into a hotel room and given the name of such and such royal suite. Everything here was glass and black marble, and Shiro wasn’t sure whether he was supposed to take off his shoes because everything just _shined_ so brightly. 

The man led him into what seemed to be the central sitting area, and he was told to wait yet _again_. The lackey evaporated with a ping of the elevator, and Shiro leaned in to place his elbows on his knees because leaning back on this impeccably uncomfortable sofa seemed to be like a bad idea. He wanted to pull out his phone and start toying with it, but what if Mr. Zarkon showed up now? Would that be rude? 

“Takashi Shirogane.” 

He was startled off the sofa with a deep voice that reverberated through the room. He twisted around to see a tall, imposing man _glide_ towards him, for the lack of a better word, and he fought the urge to press his hand against his nose when he smelled the undeniable, domineering scent of an _Alpha, the_ Alpha. His hackles rose, and he pushed the instinct down. Now wasn't the time for a stand-off; not when the man in front of him was so obviously superior in every way.

“Mr. Zarkon.” 

Shiro stuck out his hand as the man approached, but instead of shaking it, Zarkon just looked at it as if were a particularly nasty insect. Miffed, Shiro nervously tried to put his hand in his pocket only to remember that these trousers weren’t made for that. 

“Mister Shirogane.” Zarkon inclined his head. “Thank you for coming on such short notice.” 

“Um, that’s okay, I wasn’t really–,” 

"I have business to discuss with you," Zarkon said, cutting Shiro off effectively. Shiro's jaw snapped shut, and he gulped nervously. God, the man's scent was too much.

“My time is very valuable, Mister Shirogane, so I will cut to the chase. I discovered your file among the Alpha Registry recommendations compiled for the purposes of mating.”

Shiro frowned at that. It had been _years_ since he’d updated his files there. The Alpha Registry was seen by most people as nothing more than a formality – most matings now were love matings, anyway. There was no need to go through thousands upon thousands of Alphas to find a suitable match for your Omega child. 

“Um, yeah?” Nice, Shiro. Very smooth. 

“You don’t seem to have aged much since the time you were seventeen,” Zarkon said, almost approvingly. “That is good. Good genetics.” He stepped around Shiro, looking him up and down with no reservations. “Strong. Tall. Broad shoulders.” 

“W-what’s this about, again?” Shiro felt the nervousness begin to show and what was worse, his scent soured as well – an obvious indication of his discomfort. 

Zarkon only hummed, apparently disinterested in having an actual conversation. "Angular jawline. Your hair is quite thick as well."

“Thank… you?” 

Zarkon stopped in front of him, still as a statue, eyeing him intensely. Shiro tried not to fidget too much under his intense gaze. Finally, the man seemed to come back to life as he snapped around, doing a one-eighty and turning his back to Shiro. “You will do nicely. Follow me.” 

Shiro could do little else but try to keep up with the man’s long strides as he was led into another room, just as lavish as the first. There was one striking difference between the two, though: this room had a bed. 

And on that bed sat a very pissed-off looking young man, his arms crossed in front of his chest. Shiro stopped at the door when he smelled the unpleasant scent of being _very unwelcome here_ , which Zarkon steadfastly ignored. Shiro had to admire his resilience: most of the time, if the Omega didn’t want you in their presence, in their nest, they made it very clear and very hard to impose. Zarkon, on the other hand, seemed to be immune to the young man’s horrendous scent, and instead, walked over, grabbing him by the scruff of his neck and pulling him to his feet despite the growl he got in exchange for his troubles. 

“This is Keith, my son and the future mother of the heir to my business,” Zarkon said. The Omega tried to get out of his clutches indignantly and was rewarded with his father suddenly letting him go and making him stumble. 

Fiery eyes met Shiro’s, and the Alpha had to take a step back when he saw the pure _loathing_ in them. 

“You will mate with my son and breed him in exchange for monetary compensation,” Zarkon said stiffly. 

It was as if the floor had been yanked from underneath his feet. Shiro grabbed onto the door frame, and for a moment, he thought he was probably dreaming; he’d probably gotten carbon monoxide poisoning or something at the garage and was currently under some heavy sedation at the hospital. 

Except when he blinked, the room did not disappear, and the Omega’s indignant scent became even more pungent. 

“Come again?” Shiro couldn’t stop his mouth before the question fought its way out. 

“What she said,” the Omega mumbled, making Shiro feel even more distant from the reality of what was happening. 

Zarkon looked at Shiro as if he had been dropped on his head as an infant. “You will breed my Omega son and provide me with an Alpha heir to my business. Is that not clear? I was rather under the impression that you had high cognitive capabilities, judging from your school and university results.” 

_Is that a compliment? Am I hallucinating? Am I dying?_

_Maybe I’m already dead._

Shiro cleared his throat. “Uh, sir, with all _due respect_ –,” 

"You are not in a position to refuse me, Shirogane," Zarkon said brusquely. "I made a bid for your genetic material, and I intend to have it delivered. I am also well aware of your financial situation. You simply cannot afford to buy back the contract."

Shiro gaped at the man. A contract? Zarkon had actually taken out a _deal_ for his mating services? He had gone through the Registry, paid for, and effectively now owned, Shiro as an Alpha capable of breeding. Few people actually did that nowadays – few could afford it, which, of course, wasn’t even an issue for Mr. Zarkon. However, most Alpha-Omega couples just met naturally. The fact that Keith apparently hadn’t managed to swing an Alpha, given his family’s considerable wealth was very telling. Keith’s scowl told Shiro the rest of the story. 

“You can’t do this,” Shiro whispered. His hand shook as he tried to reach back for the door handle only to stumbled back. “This is–,” 

“Perfectly legal and within my right as a paying party to the contract,” Zarkon said smoothly. Keith glared at him, and Shiro was momentarily relieved that he wasn’t the one on the other end of the Omega’s displeasure for now. 

“My son will be going into heat within the next three days. I do suggest you make yourself at home.” 

* * *

This was how Shiro ended up being locked in a (very generous) hotel room with an Omega ripe for the picking. Zarkon had left in a flurry of tailored coattails, off-handedly having told Shiro that he couldn't leave the penthouse before the end of Keith's heat. Which meant about a week of being off the grid and not showing up to his grad school classes or his part-time job. He supposed that his career in astrophysics was pretty irrelevant to Zarkon's agenda. What was, though, was forcing him to stay locked in a room which was too rich for his tastes. 

And potentially having sex with someone who definitely did not want it. 

That much was evident, as Shiro was currently being glared at in the most hostile way by a very unfriendly-looking Omega who was dwarfed by the huge bed. Keith had his knees drawn up to his chin and was settled against the pillows – the image of a pearl inside a seashell came to Shiro's clearly addled mind – and his gaze was hard and unwelcoming as he observed Shiro critically.

“You’re not even _that_ good-looking,” he finally spoke up after what felt like _eons_ of time during which Shiro had attempted to make himself at home by leaning against the door. 

_Ouch._ Shiro actually knew for a fact that he was pretty handsome. He liked to think so, anyway, despite his disfigurement. “Um, sorry about that,” Shiro said, making Keith scoff. 

“And you’re so… _nice_. Weirdo.” 

Okay, well, that was fair. Shiro was notorious for being the boy-next-door type Alpha, the least imposing representative of his dynamic, so much so that his friends in his master's program affectionately called him Space Dad.

“In the Shakespearean sense?” Shiro asked jokingly. 

Keith looked at him with confusion and hostility. “Huh?” 

“Um, Shakespeare used the word _nice_ used to mean stupid in _Henry IV_ ,” Shiro explained hurriedly. That apparently didn’t earn him any brownie points with the Omega who just looked at him with a frown on his face. 

“And you’re a fucking nerd. Amazing.” 

Shiro shrugged at that, failing to take offense again. “It is what it is,” he said. “I’m a man of–,” 

“–don’t say it–,” 

”–many talents.”

The Omega groaned, tossing a pillow at Shiro in irritation. He caught it automatically, and for a moment, he was torn between throwing it back, putting it down and – oh the horror! – pressing it to his face to inhale the raw, unspoiled scent of a pre-heat Omega. He could almost smell it – it clung to the luxurious fabric and invited him, so much better than the sharp and bitter stench of Keith's resentment of his presence.

But Shiro was a boy-next-door type Alpha, so he placed the pillow onto a nearby windowsill. His eye was caught by the city beneath them, the lights beginning to conglomerate together as night fell. It was a pretty long drop. There was definitely no escaping. 

“Yeah, I tried that,” Keith said with a yawn, making Shiro startle out of his reverie. 

“Climbing out the window,” the Omega said when Shiro gave him a questioning look. “Almost made it, too, but they caught me three floors down.” 

“You… climbed out of the window?” Shiro repeated, staring at Keith in disbelief. Whoever he was, a typical Omega he wasn’t. And definitely not a typical rich boy Omega. Shiro had seen magazine spreads with their pictures, all fluffed and flounced and pampered, the very essence of what it was like to be a prized possession with only one sole purpose: procreation. They were soft and pliant, with round puppy dog eyes and enticing, glistening lips, made fuller and prettier by the armies of plastic surgeons their parents hired to increase their appeal. 

Keith was none of that. He wasn't soft at all – he was angular and definitely rough around the edges. Shiro wondered what kind of childhood the Omega had suffered under his father's thumb –judging from their current arrangement, it didn't seem as though Zarkon scored very high on paternal warmth.

“I did,” Keith said, and Shiro could detect a hint of childish pride in his voice hidden underneath all the cocky bravado. 

He inspected the Omega closely then. Besides being very angular and quite a bit on the skinny side – _wiry_ , Shiro’s brain corrected for him – Keith was definitely not cover page Omega material. His hair was way too long in the back and stuck out in the front, void of any fancy product. His mouth was pretty thin, even though Shiro’s Alpha instincts immediately jumped to the mental image of it being reddened and plumped by an intense kissing session. 

Keith’s eyes were his best feature – a strange, almost unrealistic violet. And they seemed to be softening, his ire giving way to something else. A tentative, shy sort of doubt that came from a place Shiro knew to be very insecure. It was no wonder that Keith was this on edge – everything about him was in discord to the setting. He looked like he belonged outside, not locked in a hotel room to be mated and forced into a life of servile motherhood. 

“What are you looking at?” Keith asked, his voice hoarse. 

Shiro startled a little bit and blushed when he realized he’d been staring. “Sorry. It’s just that… you don’t strike me as the type of person who’d be okay with this, I guess.” 

Keith gave him an unimpressed look. “No shit.” He looked Shiro up and down and sighed – Shiro could almost see his walls shift to accommodate this new development just enough to test the waters. “I guess you don’t strike me as that kind of person either.” 

The Alpha shook his head. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know–,” 

Keith waved him off. “I get it. I could smell you all the way from over there. You’re not _happy_ to be here.” 

“Um, it’s not like you’re terrible company, it’s just that…” Shiro shifted uncomfortably. 

“It’s just that you weren’t planning on siring any children tonight,” Keith said pointedly, lifting an eyebrow, “with someone you barely know. Like I said, I get it.” He eyed Shiro up and down once more before sighing. “You can come closer, you know. I’m not gonna… murder you or whatever.” 

Some of the tension seemed to flood out of the room, together with the more unpleasant notes to Keith's scent. Shiro chuckled in spite of himself and took a couple of steps closer to sit down on the edge of the Omega's bed. It was so large that even now, there was a reasonable distance between the two of them, just enough to be comfortable.

“I just wanted to give you your privacy,” he said quietly. 

The Omega observed him with curiosity. “My privacy, right. That was gone when my dad _bought_ me a random Alpha to fuck and knock me up.” 

Shiro winced at that. Every word of it was true, but that didn’t make it any less dreadful. He had always been the kind of person who had been if not a romantic, then a realist when it came to matings. He’d fully anticipated finding a nice Omega to settled down with later in life – picket fence and adorable little children and all. If his mark ended up on Keith’s neck, that would cease to be a possibility. 

“I’m sorry,” Shiro repeated, glancing down into his lap. 

Keith shifted a little bit, making the bed dip. 

"What happened to your hand?" He asked, with all the tact of an armored tank. Shiro glanced at him with surprise – indeed, ethics and etiquette hadn't been on Keith's schooling agenda. In a way, it was almost refreshing; ever since the accident, he had grown weary of people tiptoeing around the subject like it wasn't painfully obvious that his arm was a hunk of metal.

“My whole arm, actually,” Shiro said, pulling his sleeve back to expose more of the prosthetic. “Drunk driver when I was in high school. Nothing too exciting. Also part of the reason why I can’t afford to say no to your father.” 

Keith hummed. “This is pretty fancy. State of the art.” 

Shiro glanced at him with surprise. “You can tell?” 

The Omega huffed and rolled his eyes. “We’re not _all_ dumb little bitches who only concern themselves with _homemaking_ and _mimosas_." He saw the sheepish look Shiro gave him, and that seemed to spur him on even more. "I like engineering stuff. Machinery, engines. Robotics."

“Oh?” Shiro asked, surprised and kind of delighted. Just a little. “I’m a mechanic.” 

“Robots?” Keith asked eagerly, for the first time looking like he could possibly enjoy Shiro’s company. 

“Cars.” Shiro was sorry to disappoint. 

“Oh.” Keith’s face fell, but then he seemed to shake himself out of whatever emotion it was that he felt – he was _tough_ to read, Shiro realized – and shrugged. “That’s cool too. I wish I could do stuff like that. I can’t anymore.” 

"Anymore?" Shiro was somewhat under the impression that such dirty work was beneath Omegas of all ages.

Keith picked at a thread on his sleeve. “I used to hang around the assembly line at my father’s household robot factory.” 

“The _Sentries_?” Shiro asked, his heart leaping. The _Sentry_ series was a legend of clever home-oriented engineering. Based on the old robot vacuum cleaner models, the _Sentries_ were now used as waiters in restaurants, as cleaners and even hosts at hotels, having revolutionized the service industry. Ironically enough, Shiro had seen none in the hotel lobby just now – apparently, Zarkon chose to have a more _human_ approach to his own HoReCa businesses.

Keith nodded, biting the inside of his cheek. “My father didn’t really care back then what happened to me.” He saw Shiro’s facial expression and snorted. “Don’t give me that. My father’s a dick. I think we can both agree on that.” 

“I wouldn’t want to presume–,” 

“No,” Keith said firmly. Shiro’s eyes were suddenly locked with his. “Say it with me. _Zarkon’s a dick_.” 

Shiro gaped at that. For an Omega to disrespect an Alpha so openly in front of someone else was one thing but for an Omega to disrespect his _father_ was a whole new level of brazen. 

He nearly jumped when he felt Keith’s warmth at his shoulder. His nostrils were filled with the sweet scent of an Omega becoming more open to something other than spitting curses at him. 

“I don’t think–,” 

“Say it.” 

The lure of his scent and those violet eyes were just too much for Shiro’s poor, tortured brain to handle. 

“Zarkon’s a dick,” he mumbled, glancing around and up at the corners of the hotel room to see whether there were any cameras. Something told him there were many. 

Keith laughed merrily, and any hope Shiro had had of escaping his charms was trashed because when Keith laughed, his entire body seemed to transform, inviting and open. He threw his head back as if Shiro had said something absolutely hilarious, but despite that, his laugh was quiet, almost hushed in its hoarseness. His body shuddered with it and all Shiro could focus on for a moment was his throat.

_Damn it._

“Louder!” Keith demanded. He grabbed a pillow and chucked it at Shiro’s head. The poor Alpha could do little else but allow it to make contact with his face. 

“Zarkon’s a dick,” he managed, stage-whispering, and Keith laughed even harder. Shiro didn’t really see why, but it appeared as though the words were the most amusing thing Keith had heard in his entire life. 

“Louder!” He said again, grabbing Shiro by the wrist of his left hand. 

The moment shattered. 

Within a split second's time, Shiro was back by the door, and Keith was hugging the pillow to his chest, backed into the headboard of his gigantic bed. They stared at each other, and Shiro could have sworn he felt his wrist tingle.

They stared each other down, and the comfortable atmosphere that had instilled some hope in Shiro that this could actually be a good thing was gone.

“I need a drink,” he finally managed, squeezing the words out as he made a run for the living room. He really hoped this place had a mini bar. 

* * *

The room didn’t just have a mini bar. It had a fridge. A fully-stocked fridge with food and juices and alcohol of various kinds. Which was a good thing, considering Shiro really needed a stiff one right now. Except he apparently wasn’t allowed to nurse his drink in solitude – Keith followed him from the bedroom and threw himself onto the lavish black leather sofa, arms and legs spread like an upside-down starfish.

A very attractive one. With a terrible attitude. 

“Make me one too,” he ordered haughtily. 

"Are you even allowed to drink yet, kid?" Shiro asked, leaning back against the kitchen counter with his gin tonic. The booze was obviously very good and very expensive, and he took perverse pleasure in knowing that Zarkon would pay for it. Even if his alcohol consumption left no sizable dent in the man's fortune.

“I’m nineteen!” Keith protested, looking at Shiro with a displeased grimace on his pretty face. “I could be in college now if it wasn’t for my fucking ovaries.” 

Shiro lifted an eyebrow. 

“So make me a drink,” Keith said, hopping off the sofa and stalking over to Shiro to grab his glass from him and take a sip. He made a face. “Disgusting.” 

“That’s what alcohol tastes like,” Shiro replied, taking his glass back. He ignored the fact that their fingers brushed just a little when he did that. “College or no, you’re pretty sheltered, aren’t you?” 

Keith gave him a look of pure loathing. "Isn't that what you Alphas want people like me to be? Sheltered? Subservient?" He took a step closer, and Shiro had to remind himself not to step back. Keith was all up in his face, and frankly, he was quite intimidating, for an Omega.

“You want us all open and spread out for you, idiotic little _Omegas_ with only one thing on our minds. All because you _know_ we could run this world better than any of you knotheads. So you want us all dumbed down."

Shiro looked at him in surprise. “You’ve been reading Altea’s works, haven’t you?” 

Keith crossed his arms in front of his chest. "Allura Altea is the greatest political philosopher in this country, and you know it."

Shiro shrugged. “I can’t disagree with that. I’m just surprised that you know her.” 

“Oh, because I’m such an _Omega_?” Keith hissed. “Because I shouldn’t even be allowed to read the books I want?” 

“No skin off my back if you like reading,” Shiro replied with a shrug. “It’s just surprising that your father gave you access to things this controversial.” 

"I never asked him," Keith said with a stubborn tilt to his jaw – and that was when Shiro saw the young Omega beneath the harsh exterior. It wasn't Keith's defenselessness that made him look vulnerable – it was his petulance. Apparently, the same thought crossed Keith's mind because he deflated a little and gave Shiro a careful look.

“You won’t tell him, will you?” 

Shiro snorted and downed the rest of his drink with a shudder. “I’m not exactly a fan of your father’s right now, in case you didn’t notice.” 

“That’s the weird part,” Keith commented. He picked up the glass and raised it over his head to look through it at the overhead lights, squinting one eye shut. “Most Alphas would jump at the chance to fuck someone as important as me.” 

“I’m not most Alphas,” Shiro said. “And you’re very arrogant.” 

Keith shrugged. “Comes with the territory. And you may not be most Alphas, but you’re also dirt poor no more. You should be celebrating by taking my ass for a spin or whatever it is you fuckers do.” 

Shiro felt his hackles rise at that. He took a step back, frowning at Keith who glanced back at him over his shoulder, his fake bravado becoming more and more strained in Shiro’s eyes by the second. “Keith, I may be _poor_ , as you put it; but I am no rapist,” he said seriously. 

Keith's surprised eyes met his own, and he sighed deeply, taking the glass from him and placing it into the sink. He leaned back against the marble counter and surveyed the Omega. Keith was so young and so full of life. The idea of tying him down with something he desperately didn't want was positively nauseating.

“I don’t want this,” Shiro murmured, “and neither do you.” 

"Duh," Keith breathed, and for a split-second, Shiro thought he saw some begrudging respect pass between them before the Omega's expression shuttered once more. "But it's not like we'll have a choice. My heat will come soon, and I'll be _begging_ for it. And you’re not strong enough to resist it.” 

"I'd like to think that I am," Shiro said bravely, even though his voice wavered. Resisting a virginal Omega in heat right in front of him, panting and moaning for a knot was… unthinkable. And Shiro really wasn't too good at handling the unthinkable despite his recovery and adaptation to his prosthetic arm. The doctors had told him he would have limited mobility in his arm and virtually no fine motor control; yet, there he was, fixing cars for a living.

Keith laughed in his face. “Shiro the hero. We’ll see about that.” 

As much as he didn’t want to, Shiro cracked a smile at Keith’s wordplay. It _was_ pretty funny, he had to admit. Because Shiro was just the kind of guy who would be late for a job interview because he was too busy rescuing kittens from trees and walking grandmas across the street. Boy-next-door type Alpha. 

“Keith,” he sighed, running his artificial fingers through his buzzcut. “I don’t want to… _force_ you.”

A long moment of silence passed between them before a tentative hand slipped forward on the marble, not quite reaching out and taking – but offering. 

“You’re not forcing me,” Keith said quietly. 

Shiro’s eyes were fixed on the open palm of his hand. 

"My father is the one forcing both of us. And… I'd be okay with… it being you if you're not lying to me." Keith's purple eyes met his once more, and for the first time since he'd set foot in the hotel room, Shiro saw the person behind the barbed wire. _Please don’t lie to me._ Keith’s eyes were sad and beseeching, and his lower lip trembled just enough to make Shiro’s protective instincts surge within him. 

He reached out and gently placed his hand over Keith's, and the smaller palm quivered once, before settling into the strange handshake.

“I promise you I won’t take advantage of you,” Shiro said solemnly. “I will do my best to be… gentle.” 

Keith's jaw worked as he nodded, shyly pulling his hand away. He cradled it against his chest, and Shiro's heart clenched. Something told him that this Omega had never really trusted anyone before; and here he was, about to strip him of the last of his dignity.

“I believe you,” Keith said finally. “On one condition.” 

“Anything.” The word slipped out before Shiro could stop it. 

Keith watched him intently, biting the inside of his cheek. “I want to spend the next three days getting to know you.” 

The serious moment broke, and Shiro offered Keith his best boy-next-door grin. “Are you asking me out, Mister Zarkon?” 

Keith winced, and Shiro cursed inwardly. _What now?_

“It’s Kogane,” the Omega said. “Mister Zarkon’s my father. Kogane’s… my mom’s last name.” 

Shiro nodded in understanding. It was undoubtedly unorthodox to go by the maternal Omega's last name, but he was quickly getting used to the idea of pretty much everything about Keith being unorthodox.

“Mister Kogane, then,” he said. “Are you asking me out?” 

Keith shifted uncomfortably, a blush on his pale cheeks. It made him look younger, more naïve, and closer to the idea of the magazine cover Omega. Shiro found he didn't mind Keith's face either way – he was… aesthetically pleasing to the eye.

“Well, uh… not really _out_ ,” Keith mumbled, “since we’re stuck in this fucking room until the end of my heat. But yeah. I want a date. Many dates. One gigantically long date.” 

Shiro had to crack a smile at that. 

"Is it too soon to make a joke about something else being _gigantically long_?” He asked, and the dirty look he got from Keith was enough for him to know that _yes, it is too soon, you pleb._


	2. Chapter 2

They ended up sitting on the balcony overlooking the city below. Dinner had been rolled in about half an hour ago by an unapologetic bellboy who had vehemently refused any bribe Keith had tried to offer him to leave the door open for them to escape. They were indeed stuck here, on top of the world, with a bunch of ridiculously complicated dishes for dinner. 

Keith was pretty upset about the whole affair, which didn’t stop him from scarfing down is food with the determination of a starving wolf cub. 

“Can’t believe my father paid them all off,” he muttered, helping himself to his steak without much finesse. Shiro had never seen anyone, especially not a supposedly mild-mannered Omega, take care of a rib-eye this viciously. It seemed as though Keith wasn’t above stabbing the object of his ire – currently, the steak and in his mind’s eye, his father, no doubt. 

“Technically, he pays all of them their salary,” Shiro pointed out. 

Keith snorted. “Shut up. Are you always this fucking smooth and reasonable?” 

Shiro couldn’t help but smile. “That is one of my finer features, yes.”

The Omega rolled his eyes. Usually, this would be a clear sign of disrespect – for someone of his status, at least; he was supposed to represent his father's business in the best way possible, but Shiro was quickly beginning to learn that Keith was anything but a typical high-born Omega.

“So, um…” He trailed off. “Do you have any hobbies?” 

Keith looked at him with a skeptical dip to his eyebrow. “What do you think?” 

“I think you have hobbies you don’t want your father to know about,” Shiro said, leaning back in his chair. 

The way Keith’s facial expression flickered gave him an indication that he was right about that hunch. Shiro leaned in, placing his forearms – but not his elbows – on the table. 

“It’s fine if you don’t want to tell me, but I bet it gets pretty lonely up here,” he said. 

“Don’t patronize me,” Keith growled defensively, letting off a waft of hostility that made Shiro cringe. He seemed to deliberate the offer for a moment before sighing as he grabbed his wine glass. “I read. A lot. Things that my father would hate to see me read. Because I’m actually, you know, using my brain.” 

Shiro chuckled. “I bet you have a wonderful brain.” 

They looked at each other for a long moment. 

“You really suck at wooing me,” Keith said; but it seemed as though Shiro’s little blunder relaxed him a little. He took a sip of his wine and also leaned in, elbows on the table, and the edge of his plate almost touching his chest. 

Definitely not refined Omega behavior. 

“I like engineering, I already told you,” Keith continued, “and building stuff. Fixing it. Don’t have much of a chance to do it up here but… You know.” 

Shiro nodded in understanding. He glanced down at the cityscape below. “It’s a lovely place.” 

“It’s a prison,” Keith said sharply. Upon Shiro’s hurt look, he sighed, taking pity on the soft Alpha who was just trying to make conversation. “My father locked me up here after I presented. That was when I was fourteen. It’s been four and a half years. I keep track. I have a calendar and shit.” 

“Your father was trying to protect you, I guess,” Shiro said, making Keith scoff.

"Alpha chauvinism. I can protect myself. My father was just trying to protect his business. What if I got caught in heat somewhere outside, in the street, where anyone could grab me and knot me?"

Shiro cringed at the idea. He had heard of such things happening despite the increased police presence in the streets after a few incidents a couple of years ago. 

“And what’s worse, what if – gasp – I mated with someone he didn’t want to be in charge of his business?” Keith said sourly. “That’s the only reason why. Before I presented, I was… happy. Now I’m living in a hotel room that’s not even my own and talking to a complete stranger who’s about to go ham on me and fuck me within an inch of my life. So forgive me for not being _grateful_ for my father’s _foresight_.” 

Okay, that stung. 

“I’m just…” Shiro made an abstract motion with his hand, trying to find a way to save face. 

“You’re just thinking like an Alpha,” Keith finished for him. He shrugged. “That’s… I mean, it’s not your fault you’re dumb.” 

“Hey!” Shiro chucked a grape at him across the table. Keith looked momentarily surprised by that before sending it flying back into Shiro’s wine glass. It landed with a _plop_ , sending splashes upward and onto Shiro’s new shirt. 

The Alpha sighed and grabbed a napkin to try to save the situation. “Keith, c’mon, I don’t want to explain to your father how–,” 

"My father doesn't give a shit about your clothes, and you know it," Keith said, lifting an arrogant eyebrow. "Actually, he doesn't really give a shit about _you_. You can be out of the picture as soon as it’s confirmed that I have an heir in my belly.” 

Shiro frowned at that. “But what about the mating?” 

_“But what about the mating?”_ Keith mimicked him childishly. “Nothing. Nothing’s gonna come of it, so if you’re trying to get me to _like_ you, don't bother. That's only going to make shit harder later when it's time for us to go our separate ways."

Shiro’s frown deepened. “But won’t that–,” 

“Make me nuts?” Keith shrugged. “Maybe. Being away from my mated Alpha, separated from my child at birth too? Yeah, I’m on my merry way to the loony bin.” 

“Your father wouldn’t do that to his son,” Shiro argued. “I’m sure he–,” 

“Has a heart?” Keith snorted. “Please. The other one didn’t fare that well.” 

“The other one?” 

“My half-brother, I guess. Born from my father’s… indiscretion with a stray Omega,” Keith said with a snort. “I never even met him, never knew who he was, and I wouldn’t have found out if I hadn’t gone through my father’s shit when I was angry at him about a year ago.” 

“You have a half-brother?” Shiro was still trying to compute that. 

“Yes, a disowned one, technically. But if I don’t produce an Alpha heir, my father’s assets will theoretically go to him.” 

Shiro looked at Keith blankly. He couldn’t imagine not knowing someone who was so close to his family, someone who was _half_ of the person he was. Shiro himself was an only child and what he wouldn’t have given to have a sibling. 

“So you see?” Keith said with grim satisfaction. “It’s all about politics.” 

“That’s… a lot to take in,” Shiro volunteered. He played with his fork thoughtfully, thinking back on all the stories his mother had told him when he’d been a child – stories about soulmates and true love and knowing that you were meant to be the moment you saw the other person. Back then, it had been a much more foreseeable goal – that he would one day walk into a café or a library or… well, someplace cliché, and he would find the person he’d spend the rest of his life with. 

The reality was much more difficult than that. He had come to realize that as he'd gotten older. Some of his childhood friends had mated, some remained unmated; and still, life had gone on. No heart-stopping, Earth-shattering cataclysms. Just… people meeting people. Biology. Perhaps love. Sex. Children.

Shiro didn't know how he had managed to retain even one-tenth of his romantic streak.

"What are you thinking about?" Keith's voice snapped him out of his reverie, and Shiro found himself heating up in the cheeks when the mental image of running into Keith in a library came to his mind. He'd probably get all flustered and apologize, and the Omega would glare at him. Then he'd probably get through a stumbling invitation for coffee just to make it up to Keith.

And then, there would be love. Sex. Children. 

“Do you… believe in fated mates?” Shiro asked, trying to sound casual. 

Even that didn’t save him from Keith’s derisive snort. 

“Yeah, sure. And the tooth fairy,” the Omega said with a yawn. “C’mon, Shirogane, I just told you what my situation is. And you still think I’d believe in that garbage?” 

Shiro shrugged. “You can have hopes and dreams.” 

“I really can’t,” Keith said, and that was the end of the conversation. 

When the time came for them to sleep, Shiro wanted to play the gentleman and stay in the second bedroom in the suite – but, apparently, that had been locked, and the key was taken away. Any number of calls to the front desk was futile: Zarkon had them all under his thumb.

Therefore, they were forced to take the enormous bed. Keith took pity on Shiro – the sofa in the living room wasn't exactly comfortable for someone of his height and stature, and the bed was big enough for them to have about two feet of space between them. Still, Shiro was hyperaware of Keith's presence when the Omega slipped under the covers in an oversized band T-shirt and boxers. He had been given black silk pajamas since he had no clothes of his own with him. He felt very pretentious in the outfit, no matter how comfortable and soft the fabric was. He just wasn't used to things like gourmet dinners and silk pajamas.

“You look like a douchebag,” Keith informed him, solidifying that particular notion. 

Shiro rolled his eyes. “I know. I don’t have any other clothes with me. Your father sort of kidnapped me, remember?” 

“Doesn’t really matter,” Keith said casually, reaching over to turn the lights off. “In a couple of days, we’re both gonna be sleeping naked.” 

Shiro didn’t know what to say to that, so he said nothing. 

* * *

They didn’t talk about what would happen during Keith’s heat afterward. It was a bit of an unspoken rule, Shiro supposed; and Keith seemed to respect that as well – or, perhaps, behind his bravado and cockiness, there was a deep-seated fear of his nature and what it would make him do.

In any case, they were forced to spend quite a bit of time together since there wasn't much else to do. Their phones wouldn't work, and there was no access to the Internet, which meant that the only entertainment they had were old black-and-white movies and each other.

There were many things Shiro wanted to know about the Omega; and sometimes, just sometimes, Keith would allow him a glimpse at what his life was really like. Most of the time, though, he would prod Shiro with questions and comment on what he said with sarcastic quips. Shiro was surprised at how quickly he managed to get used to them – usually, he was quite sensitive, but with Keith… Well, he couldn't really imagine Keith without sarcasm.

Late at night on the third day, they lay in bed together, neither able to sleep. It was apparent that Keith's heat was almost at the door – Shiro could already smell the changes in his scent, and it made his skin itch somewhere beneath the surface, urging him to mind his way around the Omega and cater to his whims.

"Keith?" He breathed into the darkness, knowing he wasn't asleep yet. The smaller man was pretty fidgety, and it took him a while to settle down. When he did, though, his entire form relaxed, and Shiro sometimes tried to be as still as possible just to enjoy a moment of seeing the Omega's face without the ever-present tension between his brows.

“Yeah?” 

Shiro shifted onto his side – he could see Keith’s outline against the illuminated skyline of the city below. “Why’s your last name Kogane?” 

There was a moment of silence, in which Shiro began to regret the question. Perhaps this was prying too much into Keith’s business – he didn’t seem to be too eager to talk about his family. “Uh, it’s okay if–,” 

“It was my mother’s last name,” Keith murmured. “I told you that already.” 

Shiro wondered whether he was supposed to stop pressing now, but–

“But why?” 

It wasn't customary for Omegas to keep their mother's names – it was unheard of, actually. The idea of Zarkon allowing something like this under his roof was a little strange to Shiro, who'd only known the man for a grand total of five minutes and had still been left with quite the impression of him as a family man.

“My mother was his mate,” Keith replied quietly. Shiro watched him shift onto his side as well. His eyes glinted in the sheer lighting. “His actual mate. They didn’t mate for love, but they… Well, the servants at our old home said they grew to love each other later.” 

“But, I guess my father didn’t really think much of it. He got another Omega pregnant, and then Lotor was born. Apparently, my mother wasn’t the same again. He found out before he had me, right before I was born, and something went wrong with the delivery, so…” Keith’s hands twisted in the sheets. 

“So he died. And I survived. And my father was… well, he was always a dick to me. I never saw his good side. If he ever had one to begin with. I don’t know,” Keith said quickly, his voice muffled. Shiro realized he was biting his lip. 

“I’m sorry,” Shiro breathed. “I shouldn’t have–,” 

"You're the first person to ask me that question," Keith said with an unhappy little chuckle. "Most people just ignore the elephant in the room. Others try to sugar-coat things. At least you're honest. Or dumb, I don't know yet, the jury's still out on that one."

Shiro couldn’t even bring himself to be offended. 

"What was…" He trailed off, wondering if it would be too much. Perhaps it was the only thing Keith could honestly call his own.

“Finish your sentence, idiot.” 

“What was your mother’s name?” Shiro asked, almost reverently, as if he were seeking a prayer. 

It took Keith a long time. Silence fell between them, and Shiro was almost sure that the Omega had gone to sleep. But then, cautious but strangely strong fingers, fluttering and dry, like the wings of a baby bird, wrapped around his own and he found that he could breathe again. 

“ _Alfor._ ” 

* * *

The next morning, they didn’t have time for another heart-to-heart. Before Shiro even knew it, he was wide awake, trapped beneath a surprisingly strong body. His eyes widened, all sleep gone from them when he realized what was happening – the scent that hit him was strong, cloyingly sweet, and filled with unabated desire.

Keith was straddling him, completely naked, his feverish hands shaking as he tried to wrestle Shiro’s buttons open to expose his chest. He ground down with small pants and whines that went straight to Shiro’s arousal.

“Keith…” 

The Omega ignored his soft plea and let out a frustrated little whine when the buttons refused to budge. He started clawing at the silk shirt instead as if he was fully prepared to rip it apart if he had to.

Shiro’s flesh hand wrapped around Keith’s wrist, halting him, but not for long – Shiro could already feel his own arousal – painfully so. They didn’t have much time before both of them turned into a complete mess of desire for one thing: to breed. 

“Keith, wait,” Shiro whispered, and for a moment, there was lucidity behind the sugary sheen of Keith’s eyes. They looked at each other, so close to falling off the edge and into biology-driven insanity, afraid that any movement they made would send them toppling over. 

“Whatever happens,” Shiro began, licking his lips nervously, his heart hammering in his chest, “I won’t let him hurt you.” 

That did it. The moment of repose between them was broken. Whether it was the reassurance or the display of dominance, Shiro would never know, because a split second later, Keith’s mouth was on his, hot and demanding, prying his lips open and kissing him filthily as if he wanted to drink the very essence of what was Shiro, to grab his heart and pull it out through his throat. 

Shiro wasn’t faring much better – he ground up, and the thought that his clothed cock was sliding perfectly right between Keith’s ass cheeks was enough to make him growl. He grabbed Keith by the back of his hair aggressively and, upon receiving an encouraging whine from the already-gone Omega, he spun them around, slamming Keith back-first onto the mattress. 

Keith's eyes widened at the sight of him – and he knew that he made quite the picture. Humble as he was usually, Shiro _wanted_ to show this Omega that he was strong, that he was handsome, that he was good enough to breed with. He ripped off his shirt, sending those pesky buttons flying everywhere, and exposed his chest, unashamed, for the first time in many years, of his nakedness and his scars. Keith scrambled to grab his pants and tug them down as well, and both of them let out shuddering breaths when they were both finally naked. 

The Omega wound his arms around Shiro’s neck, lifting himself up so that he could wrap his legs around the Alpha’s waist to bring them even closer together. Shiro grunted, loving the way the Omega’s heated skin seemed to burn his own, enticing him even more.

Keith couldn't speak – he could barely breathe. Instead, he only let tiny moans and whimpers and growls escape him as a way of communicating his want – and Shiro knew precisely what he meant. It was a primal sort of talk, with only the two of them involved, and only them understanding. Body language spoke louder than words, as did the increasing desire in their scent.

Shiro’s remaining human faculties prompted him to take Keith on his back – human Shiro wanted to see the Omega’s face, even though it meant that his Alpha’s wishes – _mount mount mount_ – went ignored. Keith didn’t seem to care either way – he was too far good, his eyebrows pinched and his mouth parted in a silent scream as Shiro finally breached him, guided by the slick between his legs. 

It was tough – Keith’s spasming muscles, prompted by his pleasure, hardly helped; but Shiro pushed on as the Omega dug his heels into his back, wanting more. He took Keith’s mouth in a savage kiss, more teeth than anything else, to drown out the loud, demanding moan the Omega let out. 

He stilled for a moment to rest his forehead against Keith's shoulder when he was all the way in. He could feel the shudders in the smaller body beneath him, and they brought his primal core joy and desire. Then, he turned his head to see the column of milky skin, so _close_ , so close, he could lap at the pulse there and taste what Keith smelled like. 

This was the final straw for him – he buried his face in Keith’s neck and started rocking his hips forward, guided by his instincts and Keith’s tiny whimpers. He felt the Omega’s nails scratch his back sharply – he was probably bleeding – but that did nothing to decrease his desire; it only served to make him want _more._

He fucked Keith with single-minded efficiency: thrust, kiss, grunt, take pleasure and _give it_ , judging by the way the Omega writhed beneath him, scrambling to get a better grip on his back, his arms, his neck. His hips quickened when he felt Keith become tighter and slicker at the same time. His pace turned sloppy, but neither of them minded.

Their breath mingled as they kissed each other desperately, hurtling towards the edge. Shiro pinned Keith down, and the Omega moaned, clearly loving it. Something told Shiro that whatever he did, no matter how hard he went, Keith wouldn't balk at it – he was more robust than your average virginal Omega, he was blood and teeth and harsh words, but right now, he was _begging_ to be knotted and bred.

Shiro didn’t slow down even when he felt his knot begin to catch – and Keith wouldn’t have let him anyway, growing restless and louder still. The Alpha buried his face in Keith’s neck just as he was a hair’s width away from his release – and bit down. 

Blinding pleasure. 

He couldn’t distinguish who it was that felt it – the moment he tasted Keith’s blood on his tongue he came, moaning savagely into the wound he’d created, locking their bodies together. He felt Keith spasm around him and he heard a high-pitched shriek of pleasure as the younger man trembled beneath him wildly, his breath ragged and pathetic.

With Herculean effort, Shiro managed to rearrange them so that he wasn't squishing Keith with his weight, and instead, laying between his legs, propped up with his elbows. He licked the bite he'd left on Keith's neck clean, and his chest rumbled with a croon of satisfaction, his most primitive instincts content and _smug_ about having taken an Omega so pretty and responsive. 

When he was done, he rested his forehead against Keith’s, taking in his breaths and soaking up the moment. The Omega was breathing shallowly beneath him, whimpers escaping him every time Shiro’s seed filled him and the knot pulsed. His hands grasped Shiro above the elbows, pulling him closer still. 

The reality of what they had just done would crash on them later. 

For now, Shiro just held his new mate, offering him the comfort he could. 

* * *

“It felt real.”

“Hm?” 

Shiro looked up from where his gaze had been fixated on the bubbles covering the expansive surface of the water. Settled against his side, with his back trapping Shiro’s arm effectively against the side of the jacuzzi, was a newly-mated, satiated Omega. 

All thought of privacy and decency seemed to have become a distant dream since their mating – the moment Keith’s heat had come to a close, he sprung out of bed, naked as the day he’d been born, and dragged Shiro to the terrace where a hot bath had already been prepared for them. Shiro only wondered how that had happened – he was quite sure that his Alpha instincts would have responded to an intruder during such a delicate time. 

Apparently, he’d been too caught up in the remainder of Keith’s heat to care. They could have been robbed blind, and Shiro wouldn’t have given a damn. 

“Your hand,” Keith said, playing with Shiro’s mechanical fingers. “It felt real. Just a little harder than a flesh one, I guess.” 

“It’s a pretty good mechanism,” Shiro said with a small shrug. He curled and uncurled his fingers methodically. 

“How did you get it?” Keith asked. “It’s state of the art. Isn’t not like…” He trailed off, seemingly subdued by what he was about to say. 

“It’s not like I could afford something like that?” Shiro laughed. “It’s okay,” he said, shifting a little to accommodate Keith’s closeness. “I know I’m dirt poor compared to you. I’m actually not well-off either way.” 

He sighed, looking up at the skies beyond the glass ceiling. "It was given to me as part of a testing program for new-generation prosthetics," he said. "I was the right age and size, and so… when the surgeons at the hospital came to me with the offer to give me my arm back, potentially, of course, I agreed. The project was shut down soon after, and I was forced to pay for the arm myself – the maintenance, all the extra spare parts, the works. So… that's why I'm kind of still up to my neck in debt."

“Not anymore,” Keith said with a sigh, leaning back against Shiro’s shoulder. “You probably knocked up the richest Omega in the country. Maybe even in the world, knowing my father’s relentless ambition.” 

“I don’t want your money,” Shiro said quickly. 

Keith snorted. "It's not my money, remember? Statute 19-18 states that ‘no Omega shall own property–,'"

"–nor possess assets without the knowledge of their guardian Alpha'," Shiro finished. "Yeah, I know. It's bullshit."

Keith gave him a sideways glance. “You know you’re one of the very few people who think that way.” 

“Not really,” Shiro replied with a shrug. “Most of the boys at the garage think so too. I think you’ve been around the wrong kind of people all your life, Keith.” 

He felt the Omega shudder in his hold. 

“Is everything okay?” 

“No, it’s…” Keith breathed out, looking sheepish. “My body reacts to you calling me by my name.” 

The quite admission made Shiro’s heart soar. “Nothing to be ashamed of.” 

“It’s stupid. Omegas have weird brains,” Keith mumbled. “Part of me already wants to run back to the bedroom and make sure everything is in order before I spread for you again,” he said, sniffling resentfully. 

Shiro sighed. “I’d never ask that of you. And I’ll reiterate what I said before. I think there’s no shame in being an Omega. You are… you’re so strong, I don’t think any Alpha would ever be able to come close to surviving the pain of childbirth.” 

Keith snorted. “You know what they call Alphas like you among the people my father associated himself with? Traitors. Bootlickers. Weak.” 

Shiro laughed. He'd heard that before. Less and less, the lower he had descended in society. Mechanics and bartenders were his best company, and if he were completely honest, those were much better, simpler people to deal with than what he imagined high society to be like. It all felt quite stifling.

“Good thing I’m not trying to impress those kinds of people. Or your father, to be honest.” 

Keith looked at Shiro with a small smile. “For some reason, that makes me feel better.” 

* * *

Keith’s heat passed with relative ease, and the aftermath was much more comfortable than either of them could have considered. As soon as he was able to get out of bed and stop nuzzling at Shiro's neck, the Omega marched off to the bathroom to take a test. 

Which came back negative. 

The two of them were both elated and somewhat confused at the outcome – considering Shiro was a virile Alpha in his prime, and Keith was more than biologically prepared for breeding, the mathematical possibility of him _not_ conserving was zero to none. And yet, there he was, nursing the prick on his finger from where he had drawn blood, and staring at the distinctly negative results in the tiny window of the plastic test.

"So, who's going to tell your father?" Shiro asked nervously. He was by no means a coward, but even the bravest Alpha out there would be at least a bit terrified of Mr. Zarkon.

Keith rolled his eyes. “I’m pretty sure that he already somehow knows. I wouldn’t put it past him to have cameras all over the place.” 

Shiro shuddered at the idea of Zarkon having borne witness to what had happened in the bedroom (and kitchen, and living room, and any flat surface) over the past couple of days. “How about we just text him?” He offered. “That way, he’ll see it as a gesture of good faith–,” 

“Zarkon doesn’t believe in good faith,” Keith said darkly. “If he did, he wouldn’t have locked us in here like a couple of prisoners.” 

He did have a point. 


	3. Chapter 3

It turned out that Zarkon was quite a reasonable man, for some intents and purposes. In the end, Shiro and Keith were told to stay at the hotel and try again next month. Not like Shiro had a job or a life outside of trying to knock-up his new mate, whom, intimately close as they had been over the past couple of days, he barely knew. 

They were finally allowed to leave the room, although their movements were quite confined – only to a lower floor right beneath the penthouse, which housed a private gym solely for the use of the unfortunate residents of the Imperial Suite. Shiro was impressed to find that Keith was pretty athletic – not that his physique hadn’t been a clue, but he was pretty blown away by the Omega’s swiftness and lithe, yet strong musculature. 

And yes, he was definitely coming to terms with the fact that he probably liked Keith a lot more than he should have, given their unusual circumstances. 

It was weird, existing in this bizarre cut-off from the world. They had everything and anything at their disposal, and yet, they were completely disconnected. Or, at least, Shiro was. The boys at the garage were sure to have questions he couldn't answer at the moment. As for Keith… Shiro wasn't sure the Omega had friends. It didn't seem like it – he'd never mentioned anyone.

It seemed to the Alpha that he was slowly becoming Keith's only friend – the difference being, that as far as he knew regular friends didn't spend heats together. Which happened many times. Well, three, to be exact, all resulting in the same – Keith and Shiro's relief, and Zarkon's frustration.

“Looks like your father’s gamble didn’t pay off,” Shiro said over dinner after Keith’s third heat. The two of them were sitting on the terrace outside, buck naked beneath the stars. There was no need for modesty, because let’s face it, heats left no room for it. 

Keith shrugged. “My father can fuck off. He’s the one who forced us into this shit, and now he’s getting his just desserts.” 

Shiro frowned. He kind of felt a little disinherited by Keith’s language. He picked at his food, wondering whether it was ever a good time to bring up the fact that he was definitely falling for the Omega and there was no way it was going to stop, considering their closeness. 

“What’s on your mind?” Keith asked, lifting an eyebrow at him. That was another thing – for someone as dispassionate as Keith – the Omega seemingly had three modes: angry, neutral, and orgasm – he was getting pretty good at reading Shiro’s moods. 

“Nothing,” Shiro said with a small sigh. “Just thinking about how long it’s going to take us to… you know, do what your father wants.” 

“Make a baby?” Keith scoffed. “I bet he’s gonna get fed up one day and try to break our bond or some shit.” 

Shiro looked at him in alarm. Bond-breaking wasn’t _normal_. It wasn’t _natural_ , it was painful and hard, and he knew of enough cases in which either partner never recovered from it. He wasn’t about to go crazy at his age. 

“You really think he’d do that?” 

Keith snorted. “He’ll probably try. He doesn’t really have a moral compass, in case you haven’t noticed.” He gave Shiro a calculating look, clearly seeing something on his face that he wasn’t supposed to be seeing. “But I’d like to see him try,” he said stubbornly. 

Shiro glanced up at his face. “What do you mean?” 

"Our bond's pretty strong," Keith said, off-handedly. The only thing that gave him away was a faint blush that dusted his cheeks. Somehow, that made Shiro feel warmer inside.

What made it even better was when Keith reached out and twined their hands together. 

“My father’s the one who gambled, but I’m the one who’s winning now,” the Omega said quietly, his eyes on Shiro’s. For a moment, that seemed to be the most important thing in the world. 

* * *

Shiro and Keith slowly got to know each other. It was a lengthy process, mostly due to the fact that neither one was particularly comfortable in their new dynamic. Once the heat hormones had subsided entirely, after each time, they would feel just a little too awkward to begin a conversation about the future. 

In the end, they just ended up enjoying each other’s company as much as they could. Shiro would cook from time to time – they could request groceries to be delivered to their room, of course. Keith would read and whittle something out of tiny pieces of wood: little figurines that looked like wild animals. Sometimes, they would play cards and talk. Sometimes, they cuddled. In the end, it was all about comfort.

“Hey, Shiro?” Keith asked one day, making the Alpha look up from what he’d been doing: tinkering with the entertainment system in the room to try to get it to play the news at least. 

“Yes?” 

“You know how to fight properly, right?” 

Shiro faltered under the Omega’s gaze a little. The question had come out of the blue. “Um… I used to box a little… and I did martial arts before my arm got messed up.” 

“Cool,” Keith said, drawing up to his full height. “Teach me. I wanna spar.” 

A nervous laugh fought its way from between Shiro’s lips. “What?” 

Keith gave him a glare. “Don’t you dare say it’s not an Omega’s–,” 

“That’s not what I meant,” Shiro said, getting up off the floor as well. He frowned, folding his arms in front of his chest. “I just… I don’t think your father would take kindly to me beating his son black and blue.” 

“You’re pretty cocky,” Keith said, his hands on his hips. “Are you that confident in your abilities?” 

Yes, Shiro was better than most Alphas. Level-headed. Earnest. But he was still a guy. 

“You’re on.” 

They made their way down to the gym under the watchful eye of Zarkon’s guards and a bunch of cameras, and Shiro made it a point to give the guards a warning growl when they tried to go inside the gym. 

“Private couple time,” he said, his eyes unsmiling even though his mouth was stretching into a grin. “You get it.” 

They backed off, and soon enough the two were stretching. Keith, of course, being Keith, had tried to jump right into it but Shiro insisted that there was no way they could fight adequately without at least a half-decent warmup. Considering the physical exertion their bodies went through during Keith's heats, it was a miracle Shiro hadn't slipped a disk yet.

Soon enough, they were standing in front of each other, neither making a move just yet – instead, they observed. Shiro, for one, wasn’t a fool – Keith was small and lithe, but he was also ridiculously strong, and his size contributed to his speed. Keith, on the other hand, knew that even though Shiro was built like a tank, he was also pretty fast. These were just a couple of insights both of them had received from extensive time spent in the bedroom. 

They circled each other, neither willing to attack first. 

“You sure you want to do this?” Shiro asked playfully. 

Keith made a face. “Are you trying to say something with that? Because I can wipe the floor with–,” 

He didn't get to finish the sentence, though, because the next thing he knew, he was being pinned down to the mats with Shiro's whole body – a tremendous weight that made him want to both fight and turn his head to expose his neck. The sheer power radiating off Shiro's body, the pure physicality of him, all of it was intoxicating. It took him a second to recompose himself, and he began to struggle beneath the Alpha, managing to land a decent knee somewhere into Shiro's stomach. The Alpha lost his grip on him, and he grappled away, hissing at him.

Shiro stood proudly, shoulders broad, his presence powerful, and a growl ripped from him as he attempted an attack for which Keith was too fast. 

There was something beautifully animalistic about this; precisely what Keith had needed this afternoon. He tried to kick and punch and bite, and scratch and Shiro and the Alpha fought just as dirtily, finally ending up with both of them on the floor, struggling for dominance.

“You… should yield… while you still can,” Shiro growled, and longing for submission pooled in Keith’s lower stomach, making him keen. 

"No fucking way," he managed to squeeze out, but then Shiro's nose was pressed against his neck, and all he could think about was how much he wanted to drag the Alpha back to the bedroom and–

Why wait? 

It seemed as though the realization hit both of them at the same time. One moment they were struggling on the floor, and the next, Shiro was grabbing Keith by the front of his sweat-soaked shirt and kissing him hard. The ferocity of the gesture made Keith thrust his hips upward, and Shiro moaned into his mouth, his teeth closing around Keith’s bottom lip and pulling. Keith moaned at the feeling, loving the tenderness and roughness, the mix of sweat and desire that he could smell on Shiro, the scent he was so used to and yet, one that he hadn’t fully experienced outside of a heat, when his senses and memories were dampened by the sheer _want_ of his nature. 

“Fuck, Shiro…” He groaned, tugging on the Alpha’s clothing to get him closer. 

He wasn’t in heat, Shiro was supposed to be perfectly sane and _not_ wanting like he was, but Keith could give two fucks about what was _supposed_ to be happening. All he knew was that if Shiro didn’t fuck him right _now_ , he would probably combust. 

“You’re not… we don’t have anything…” 

Shiro was right. Because Keith was outside of his heat, he wouldn’t slick as much as he had before. That could pose an issue given Shiro’s size, but… 

"… Not gonna be a problem," Keith mumbled, feeling the moisture in his underwear, and Shiro paused for a moment before his eyes widened in realization, and the bastard _chuckled_ , clearly smug. “Fuck off.” 

“Not before I fuck _you_ ,” Shiro whispered, and a thrill ran through Keith’s body. It didn’t go unnoticed by the Alpha who grinned down at him. “You like it when I talk dirty like that, don’t you?” 

“I swear–,” 

Whatever Keith swore would remain unsaid because Shiro was already clawing his clothes off, as if he were digging up a treasure. The Omega was pretty sure that Shiro’s shirt would be unsalvageable by the end of this, so he ripped it off, exposing the Alpha’s sculpted chest. 

"Fuck, you're hot," he whispered, thoroughly enjoying the sight of the taller, larger man. He hadn't exactly been able to do that at the moment when he had been in heat – back then, he had barely been able to focus on anything but the need to have something, _anything_ inside of him. 

Speaking of which… 

Somehow, Keith ended up with his ankles over his head, Shiro pressing in and down onto him, undoubtedly spurred on by the compliment. He was trapped – trapped between the sweat-slicked mats on the floor and Shiro's heated, massive body. He screamed when the Alpha pushed inside of him – he was big, so, so _big_ , so, so _perfect._

“The guards… will hear,” Shiro panted, thrusting at a punishing pace. 

“Let them… Fuck them all…” Keith growled, his hands leaving bruises on Shiro’s shoulders and neck. The Alpha seemed to like it, though, the bite mark on his neck stood out in the fluorescent lighting of the gym, and all Keith wanted to do was to make it even redder, so that everyone would see that _this Alpha was his_. 

“Do it.” 

He almost blanked for a moment, until he saw the look in Shiro’s eyes – surprisingly gentle, considering what they were doing. He didn’t hesitate to pull himself up, using Shiro’s broad back as leverage. He bit down with a satisfied moan, tasting Shiro’s blood, his scent, all of him, just flooding inside, bringing them closer together.

He wanted this so much, he could cry, he felt like he was being both ripped apart and put together again and the best part was, he knew Shiro felt the same way as the Alpha nibbled on his neck and pressed his lips to his gland before biting down completely. The pain addled his brain – his body flushed hot and cold and he seized up, muscles taut with pleasure. 

“Shiro!” He whispered before his breath was knocked out of him completely by the sheer power of his release. 

“I love you,” was the last thing he heard before Shiro sank down on top of him, trembling and groaning with the force of his orgasm. His hands grabbed at the Alpha’s back and he pushed up, deeper, deeper, wanting all of it. 

“I love you…” 

* * *

They didn’t talk about it afterward. The fact that it had happened outside of Keith’s heat. The fact that Shiro had made him feel more alive than he had felt in months.

They just sat a little closer together at dinner, and when the time came to go to bed, Shiro wrapped himself around Keith tenderly, his lips resting on the Omega's brow. Keith curled into him and closed his eyes, his hand resting on Shiro’s broad chest. He could count the scars there, the large ones and the tiny ones, that littered Shiro’s skin, not just by touch, in the dark, but by memory – Keith knew he could map them all out. The thought felt weirdly comfortable, sitting warmly in the pit of his stomach. 


	4. Chapter 4

“Let me go, you brute!” 

The intruder was waving his fists at him, to no avail – Shiro’s arm was long enough to keep this lanky kid at a safe distance. He inspected the boy – probably around Keith’s age, maybe a bit younger, clad in a waiter’s uniform, one of the hotel’s, with a large bonding bite on the side of his neck. The kid was lanky, long-limbed, and quite light on muscle mass. Shiro leaned in to get a closer look. He took a cautious whiff: definitely an Omega.

“Who are you and why should I let you go?” He asked, his voice hard. He could feel the Omega shake in his hold. _Good,_ he thought savagely, _at least he’s smart enough to know to be afraid._ “And more importantly, why the hell were you putting something in _my mate’s food_?” 

Shiro had just looked up from the book he'd been reading on the sofa when he saw the waiter reach into his pocket and sprinkle something into Keith's pumpkin soup. Something that definitely did not look like salt or pepper. Within a split second's time, he was across the room and grabbing the waiter by the scruff of his neck and then, well, there they were. All the while Keith had sat on the sofa quite stunned, not having expected such dexterity from his mate.

“I wasn’t–,” 

“What. Was. It?” Shiro growled and the Omega let out a frightened little keen, clearly out of his depth here. He thrashed in Shiro's grip, clearly having underestimated the strength of the Alpha's robotic arm. 

Keith glanced at his Alpha in alarm and then turned back to their captive, hissing. “You better fess up before we turn you into toast,” he growled, ready to spring into action if need be. His face was strained with anger and his eyes were dark, calculating and cold. He had no sympathy for the newcomer. 

A stray thought popped into Shiro’s head: how weirdly hot Keith’s dominance and bloodthirst were. He really needed to check his priorities. 

The lanky Omega struggled a little more in Shiro’s hold before grabbing him by the wrist and patting it almost comfortingly, trying to get the Alpha to loosen his hand just a little bit – he was getting pretty breathless hanging by the front of his shirt. “I’m Lance!” He panted. 

“Great, now we know your name,” Keith said waspishly. “Why were you trying to kill me?” He stalked across the room and approached the other Omega curiously. It hit Shiro that he had probably not socialized a lot with people his age. Especially Omegas who were... well, Lance was definitely not on the spoiled brat spectrum of things here. Never mind that he was an apparent criminal. 

“I’m not trying to kill you, idiot! I’m helping you!” Lance panted out, his eyes darting wildly between the two of them. 

That made Shiro almost drop him. 

“Beg pardon?” Keith asked, crossing his arms in front of his chest. He leaned in, his teeth still bared. 

“It’s in my pocket, take a look if you don’t believe me,” Lance said desperately, suffocating at this point. 

Keith shot him a _look_ , but reached out, fishing around in his left pant pocket. He pulled out a tiny packet filled with violet powder. He opened it and gave it a cautious sniff. 

“What is this?” He asked, thrusting the packet out at Lance. “Did my father put you up to this? Is this some kind of _heat enhancer_ –,” 

“I’d never do that!” Lance looked genuinely horrified. “Who do you take me for? Please, c’mon, you have to believe–,” 

They never did find out what they had to believe because, at that moment, all the lights in the room went out. A panicked thought weaseled its way into his head and he heard Shiro shout his name–

Before Keith knew what was happening, he heard a thud, and his mind went blank.

He didn’t know how much time went by before he opened his eyes and saw that he was still in the hotel room, carefully draped over Shiro’s lap. He placed a hand on Shiro’s knee to push himself up weakly, his head spinning. 

“Shiro?” 

The Alpha beneath him stirred, just as drowsy as he was. 

And Lance… Lance was lounging in the chair across from the casually, a pair of strong, lean arms around his shoulders. 

“Hello, brother dear.” 

* * *

Keith’s expression was that of extreme skepticism. Shiro could feel the tension in his body as he watched his half-brother pace the room, agitated.

Shiro had to say that Lotor was absolutely nothing like Keith; there was barely any family resemblance, and whatever similarities there were, they were squashed by Lotor's extreme… extra-ness. The guy was a one-man show, always in motion, moving around with a flourish, his hands never stilling as he spoke, his voice deep and accented, hair long and smooth, and eyes to die for.

And yet, despite all the drama, he exuded power – the kind of power that Shiro had sensed from Zarkon; the magnetic, almost sinister kind. He found himself shrinking away from the man even if physically, he was stronger. 

Apparently, he wasn’t the only one who had noticed that. Keith’s eyes were constantly on Lotor, taking him all in, while Lance draped himself over the taller man once he finally sat down and stilled. The lanky Omega looked oddly fitting in Lotor’s lap, somehow no longer ungraceful, but pliant, soft, not submissive, but complementing. Shiro never would have thought those two belonged together, but seeing it… it made sense. He wondered whether that was the way people saw Keith and him – however few people had seen them over the past couple of months. 

“So… you’re saying you had your mate _spy_ on us?” Keith asked tersely, tensing on top of Shiro. 

Lotor shrugged in response, his hand buried in Lance’s thick hair. “I didn’t need to spy on you, brother dear. Lance here played a much more important role as you well may see–,” 

“He’s been feeding Keith something,” Shiro interrupted, unable to keep the growl from his voice. “I caught him sneaking some sort of powder into his food.” 

Lance had the decency to look a little bit apologetic, but that disappeared quickly when Lotor buried his face in his neck, nipping on his bite mark. Keith shifted uncomfortably – these kinds of intimate displays of affection didn't come easily to him; they weren't common among the people the Zarkon family usually associated themselves with.

“I don’t see why you would complain,” Lotor drawled. “I was merely doing you a favor.” 

“A favor?” Keith asked, guarded. 

“A little birdie,” Lotor began, glancing at said little birdie who was busy rubbing himself up against him, clearly happy to be back in his Alpha’s presence, “told me you didn’t want to end up knocked up on our father’s behest. I merely aided with the problem.” 

“Are you saying you’ve been–,” 

“Giving you contraceptives, yes. You don’t want this Alpha’s spawn, that’s your business, and I am merely being charitable,” Lotor finished snootily. “You’re welcome, by the way, brother dearest.” 

Keith hissed at him. “Don’t call me that.” 

Lance's eyes flashed, and it looked for a moment like he wanted to give Keith a piece of his mind, but Lotor pulled him back into his lap as he sat on the sofa across from Shiro and the other Omega.

“Why would you do that?” Shiro asked, breaking the tension. “Help us, I mean?”

Lotor snorted. “I was not helping you, dum-dum. That was a by-product of my plan, if you would like to know. I was simply securing my future. You see, my father and I never had a good relationship, and he made the regrettable choice of breeding Keithie-boy here rather than entrust his empire to his _Alpha_ son. I was correcting a clear and honest injustice.” 

Keith glanced at him with confusion. “So you were making me sterile to get the inheritance? You know father would never hand it down to you–,” 

“Believe me, _darling_ , our father is a much more pragmatic man than you think he is. Once he realized that his little experiment with your brute had failed, he wouldn’t have a choice but to hand over his empire to me… if he wanted to keep it in the family,” Lotor replied casually. He leaned back against the pillows. 

Keith and Shiro exchanged a glance. 

“So, you’re saying you wanted Keith’s child out of the way, for you to be Zarkon’s heir?” Shiro asked, his voice thoughtful. 

“It’s a good thing my father didn’t pick your mate based on intelligence,” Lotor drawled to Keith who hissed at him defensively. The sound momentarily broke Shiro out of his reverie, making his heart swell. A protective Keith was not only dangerous, but he was also quite sweet. 

“I’m just saying,” Shiro continued, after clearing his throat, “you want the business. Keith doesn’t want the business. There’s no reason for you two to be pitted against each other, right?” 

There was a moment of silence. Lotor and Keith both stared at Shiro while Lance snorted, amused by the spectacle. Lotor glanced at his Omega with displeasure, which apparently made Lance even more giggly. 

“He has a point,” Lance spoke up, still draped over him, burying his nose in Lotor’s neck once more. It was like he couldn’t get enough of the Alpha’s presence – Shiro imagined that getting tackled and nearly choked by a strange man would do that to a person (even if one was plotting against said person).

“I know he does,” Lotor _tsked_ in irritation, earning himself a cuff over the head from his mate. Shiro and Keith stared at Lance in shock who went from tender to authoritative and back within the blink of an eye. 

“Behave,” he murmured, pressing kisses to Lotor’s hair. 

“You’re not as simple as I thought you were, Shirogane,” the other Alpha said, a touch of respect to his voice. 

_You’re just a little slower than I thought you were,_ Shiro thought to himself but said nothing.

"Fine. If you take Keith and get the hell out of the city, I will be more than happy to assist you with your escape," Lotor finally said, leaning back regally. There was something insanely irritating about the way he carried himself. 

"I may even throw in some cash for you two to run off into the sunset since I'm feeling particularly… familial today."

Keith sneered. "How selfless. You do know that your birth is basically what killed my mother?” He growled, and Shiro placed a hand on his knee comfortingly. Somehow, in the excitement of the day, and all the other revelations that had followed Lotor's appearance had made it feel so... irrelevant. But it was true. 

Unwittingly, Lotor was part of the reason Keith had been so miserable over the past years. Shiro couldn’t blame him for wanting revenge of some sort. Hell, if Keith wished it, Shiro would be on Lotor in a split-second, if he were to sick him on like a dog, he’d do it because this was Keith, and Keith was shaking finely under his touch. Strong, sturdy, fiery Keith. 

"I am more our father's son, clearly, that you are. I will not apologize for my birth, just like I won't apologize for your mother's death," Lotor bit back coldly. Clearly, Keith had struck a nerve. Whatever it was that they had to has out would have to wait, though. 

Keith made a face, muttering something about Lotor shirking his responsibility, but somehow, Shiro got that he couldn’t really bring himself to be angry: in a different way to him, and yet so similarly too, Lotor had as well been wronged by their father’s doings. 

Lotor observed the couple sharply. “So, what do you say? We don't have all day, Zarkon's cronies are probably already trying to find a way to scale the building. I _am_ brilliant, but even I cannot hold them off long enough for you two numbskulls to wrap your heads around my brilliance.” 

Keith glanced at Shiro. “What do you think?” 

Shiro swallowed thickly. This meant that they would really have to run. Spend a couple of years in hiding, probably, to make sure that Zarkon wouldn’t drag them back to this place and force them to copulate against their will once more. This would mean never going back to the garage and not getting to see his mother’s grave for many, many years, if ever. 

It meant that Keith and him would never have the lives they had envisioned – Shiro wouldn’t complete his education, at least not here, and not for a long time, if Zarkon were to keep tabs on them. And Keith… Keith’s dreams would be reduced to not getting caught by his father. 

It meant running. 

But it meant staying together. 

“Think you can put up with me for an indefinite period of time?” He asked, his voice a little hoarse as he looked at his Omega. 

Keith’s eyebrows shot up in surprise a little, and then his face broke out into a warm smile. He reached out to cup Shiro’s cheek, and the impossible softness Shiro felt then was one that he had wished he’d feel from Keith for a long, long time. The purple eyes were unreadable as Keith leaned in and his nose brushed against Shiro’s gently. He could almost taste Keith – and the promise of something new. 

“That’s my line.” 

* * *

_ ZARKON OMEGA DISAPPEARANCE! _

_ Earlier this afternoon, it was reported that the Omega heir to the Zarkon Empire, Keith Kogane, was kidnapped together with his mate and forcibly removed from the Galra Royale Hotel in Daibazaal city.  _

_ The current whereabouts of the couple are unknown. Police and Mr. Zarkon’s private security services are searching for the newly-mated couple at the moment. Mr. Zarkon’s second son, Alpha Lotor, is overseeing the search.  _

_ If you have any information regarding the two of them, do not hesitate to contact the Daibazaal Central Police Service.  _

* * *

“Spanner.”

“Here.”

The firm weight of the instrument landed into Shiro’s outstretched hand and he twirled it expertly before returning to his task of mending their car. They were stranded somewhere, he really wasn’t sure where, in the middle of the night, with just a flashlight and a broken down car for company. 

“Try it now,” he said eventually, pulling out from beneath the car and lowering it carefully onto the pavement. 

Keith nodded and pressed his finger onto the touchpad, trying to get it to rev up. The car remained absolutely still save for a couple of pathetic little sputters. “Doesn’t look like where going anywhere today,” the Omega said with a sigh. 

“Sure we are,” Shiro said, jumping up onto the hood. “We just need to wait until the morning when there’s more traffic and someone can give us a ride. Unless you want to call your brother.” 

“ _Half-_ brother,” Keith said tersely. “And hell no, I’m not calling him for anything. He’s smug enough that he _helped_ us.” 

“It’s been two years,” Shiro said with a laugh. “He clearly hasn’t forgotten.” 

“Neither has my father,” Keith said darkly. He was right – even though some time had gone by, Zarkon still hadn’t given up on trying to find them. Despite the fact that he had a perfectly acceptable heir – and Lotor was definitely suited for the job, judging from the few glimpses of news the two of them had gotten over the span of the past months. They really couldn’t stay too long in one place – that was a risk that was best saved for later, what with the Daibazaal city police having contacted the other security centers around the country. 

Shiro flopped onto his back. “The stars are pretty bright tonight,” he said, smiling up at them. He could feel Keith’s eyes on him as the Omega got out of the car and slipped down onto the hood next to him. 

“It’s not bad,” he said quietly. 

Shiro glanced sideways at him. Keith’s hair had gotten longer, his hands a little rougher with the kind of lifestyle they had been living lately. But he was just as beautiful as the day they met, and Shiro still couldn’t quite believe that Keith’s face was this familiar to him. That he knew every single birthmark and wrinkle. 

It felt like a privilege. 

“Don’t you sometimes wish we could just… escape to space?” Keith murmured, and Shiro’s heart clenched. Part of him felt guilty for everything: not being the Alpha Keith was supposed to have, subjecting him to this life of running. He knew it wasn’t his fault, but sometimes… it was a little too easy to blame himself. 

“Stop thinking so loudly,” Keith breathed, glancing at him. A ghost of a smile appeared on his lips. “We don’t like it.” 

It took Shiro a moment to figure things out. “Wait, _we_?” His breath caught in his chest, and he felt like he couldn’t breathe out until Keith nodded, his smile just a little wider. 

“We,” he said quietly, reaching down to pat his stomach gently. 

Shiro’s eyes traveled with him. “But, Keith, you didn’t want– I’m so sor–,” 

“Apologize for this, Shirogane, and I will cut off your balls and put them into your eye sockets.” 

Despite the seriousness of the moment, Shiro barked out a laugh. “You should really start watching your language if we’re… uh…” 

“If we’re gonna be parents,” Keith finished for him. 

Shiro nodded hesitantly. 

“We’re gonna be the best fucking parents in the world,” the Omega said firmly. “And you’re gonna be the best fucking dad, and I’ll…” He stopped suddenly, glancing down at his still-flat stomach. 

“I’ll love this kid as much as I love you.” 

As they kissed beneath the stars, many things remained unclear. They had no place to call a home, save for this broken down car. They didn’t know whether Zarkon would try to get his hands on their child. They didn’t know if they could go on running. 

They had each other, though. And that had always been enough.

**Author's Note:**

> Please do drop in on my [Tumblr](http://haganenoheichou.tumblr.com), and take a look at the[Sheith Big Bang](https://sheithbigbang.tumblr.com/) blog for more works this season <3


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